[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 110 (Friday, June 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 32416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12560]



[[Page 32415]]

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Part III





Office of Management and Budget





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2 CFR Part 33



Amending Federal Financial Assistance-Related Forms To Include 
Universal Identifier; Notice



Requirements for Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act 
Implementation; Proposed Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 110 / Friday, June 6, 2008 / 
Notices  

[[Page 32416]]


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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET


Amending Federal Financial Assistance-Related Forms To Include 
Universal Identifier

AGENCY: Office of Federal Financial Management and Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget.

ACTION: Final Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a 
memorandum authorizing each Federal agency to add a field for the 
applicant's Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 
number to application forms for types of Federal financial assistance 
that are subject to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency 
Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-282, ``the Transparency Act''). The OMB 
memorandum broadens the effect of a policy issued in 2003, which 
authorized agencies to include a DUNS number field in applications for 
grants and cooperative agreements. It broadens the 2003 policy to other 
forms of Federal financial assistance subject to the Transparency Act, 
including loans and subawards. The additional authority is needed in 
order for agencies to implement the requirements of the Transparency 
Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marguerite Pridgen, Office of Federal 
Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20503; telephone 202-395-7844; fax 202-395-3952.

    Authority: Sec. 2, Pub. L. 109-282, 102 Stat. 1186.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    On August 2, 2007 [72 FR 42444], OMB proposed to authorize Federal 
agencies to add a field for the DUNS numbers of applicants other than 
individual persons to Federal financial assistance application forms 
that were previously approved by OMB. The purpose of the proposal was 
to allow agencies to comply with the reporting requirements of the 
Transparency Act.
    The Transparency Act requires OMB to ensure the existence and 
operation of a Web site at which the public can access and search data 
on Federal financial assistance awards (note that the Web site has been 
established at http://www.usaspending.gov). A universal identifier for 
the award recipient is one of the data elements for each award that the 
Act requires to be available at the Web site. In implementing the Act, 
OMB established the DUNS number as the universal identifier that would 
be used. Therefore, an agency must be able to collect DUNS numbers for 
recipients in order to be able to comply with the Act, and collecting 
them in the application is the most efficient way to do that.
    Prior to the August 2007 proposal, there was authority in a 2003 
OMB policy issuance for agencies to collect DUNS numbers in 
applications for grants and cooperative agreements. Therefore, the 
proposal in the Federal Register notice in August was to broaden the 
earlier policy so that it also would apply to other forms of Federal 
financial assistance subject to the Transparency Act and not just to 
grants and cooperative agreements.

II. Comment and Response

    OMB received one public comment in response to the August 2, 2007, 
proposal in the Federal Register. The comment was considered in 
developing this final version of the update to the 2003 OMB policy. The 
comment and our response are summarized in the following paragraphs.
    Comment: A business commented that it was having difficulty 
obtaining a DUNS Number and expressed concern about associated fees.
    Response: There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS Number 
through Dun and Bradstreet's Web site or toll-free phone number. To 
assist Federal contractors and grant recipients with entities obtaining 
a DUNS Number, Dun and Bradstreet maintains a Web site with general 
information at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do;jsessionid=735D9C974C65C66AEE38AD278154DBDA.

III. Next Steps

    The OMB memorandum is an interim measure, pending issuance of more 
permanent policy for Transparency Act reporting requirements. In the 
document following this one in this section of today's Federal 
Register, we are proposing guidance to Federal agencies that would be 
issued in title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The proposed 
guidance covers collection of DUNS numbers from applicants as part of a 
larger set of actions implementing the Transparency Act for Federal 
financial assistance. When the guidance is issued in final form, we 
therefore anticipate that it will supersede the memorandum to agencies 
described in this notice, as well as the 2003 policy issuance on use of 
DUNS numbers for grants and cooperative agreements.
    Because the Transparency Act applies to Federal procurement, as 
well as Federal financial assistance, a final point to note is that the 
memorandum described in this notice applies only to Federal financial 
assistance. The implementation of the Transparency Act as it applies to 
Federal procurement contracts, purchase orders, task orders, and 
delivery orders is separately addressed by Federal Acquisition 
Regulation issuances under the purview of the Civilian Agency 
Acquisition Council and Defense Acquisition Regulations Council.

Danny Werfel,
Deputy Controller.
[FR Doc. E8-12560 Filed 6-5-08; 8:45 am]
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